The United States has formally designated Muslim Brotherhood factions operating in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as terrorist organisations, marking a major escalation in Washington’s long running campaign against the Islamist movement.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the US government following sustained lobbying from key Arab allies and pressure from conservative political groups within the United States. The decision places the affected Brotherhood branches under sweeping sanctions and opens the door to tighter financial and legal restrictions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation forms part of a broader strategy to counter violence and instability linked to the activities of Muslim Brotherhood affiliates across the Middle East. He said the United States would deploy all available tools to deny the groups access to funding and other resources that could be used to support terrorism.
“This action reflects our determination to disrupt networks that enable extremist violence and threaten regional stability,” Rubio said, adding that the move would strengthen cooperation with partners confronting similar threats.
The process leading to the designation was initiated in November by President Donald Trump, whose administration revived efforts to place the Muslim Brotherhood on the US terrorism list. The group, founded in Egypt in 1928, grew into a pan Islamist movement with branches across the Arab world and significant political influence in several countries.
According to US officials, the Egyptian and Jordanian branches were designated largely over allegations that they provided political and material support to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group already classified by Washington as a terrorist organisation. The Lebanon based faction was also cited for activities deemed incompatible with US counterterrorism laws.
The Muslim Brotherhood once held power in Egypt after Mohamed Morsi won the presidency through democratic elections. That period ended abruptly in 2013 when Morsi was removed in a military takeover led by then army chief Abdel Fattah al Sisi.
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Since the coup, Egyptian authorities have carried out an extensive crackdown on the Brotherhood, arresting leaders, banning its activities and branding it a terrorist organisation under domestic law.
Egypt, alongside US allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has for years pressed Washington to adopt tougher measures against the movement, arguing that its ideology fuels extremism and political violence across the region.
The latest US designation is expected to deepen regional fault lines, intensify debate over political Islam and reshape how Islamist groups linked to the Brotherhood operate within and beyond the Middle East.
